Week Eight - Day 2
Today's Reading
Gospel according to John 6:16 to 8:11
The Jesus of John's gospel is a commanding figure performing wondrous signs and confounding his opponents. In this section of our reading, John begins to show the separation of Jesus from "the Jews" who are often named as his challengers. With regards to Jesus they "complain about him" (6:41), "dispute among themselves" (6:52), "were looking for an opportunity to kill him" (7:1), and they wonder "How does this man have such learning when he has never been taught?" (7:15). The scholarly speculation is that John was writing his gospel account sometime late in the first century (90 A.D.?). By this time the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Romans and the early Christians had been expelled from any participation in the synagogues. No longer connected with the Jewish religious traditions, "the Jews" became a term for the main opponents of the Christian community of which John was a member.
While John's account has provided centuries of believers with an inspired narrative, it has also been misused by individual Christians as well as the Church as a justification for persecution of the Jewish people. We must not allow John's reactions to the events of his day be misinterpreted as license to 'blame' any group of people for what happened to Jesus. To do so is not only wrong, but to miss another part of the narrative that John has provided. For Jesus, all that is happening around him is a part of his Father's plan, it is God's will so that all the world might be saved. John sprinkles in statements that foretell what is to happen or to interpret the things that Jesus is saying (see 6:64, 6:71, and 7:39 for examples from today's reading).
When we think of Jesus' opponents, we must not be so proud as to overlook ourselves as possibly being in that category. We are saved not by our membership in an organization or a particular race or nationality of people, but by faith given by a loving God who chooses not to exclude anyone from grace and salvation. Perhaps the true opponents of God are those who deny this grace and salvation in others.
While John's account has provided centuries of believers with an inspired narrative, it has also been misused by individual Christians as well as the Church as a justification for persecution of the Jewish people. We must not allow John's reactions to the events of his day be misinterpreted as license to 'blame' any group of people for what happened to Jesus. To do so is not only wrong, but to miss another part of the narrative that John has provided. For Jesus, all that is happening around him is a part of his Father's plan, it is God's will so that all the world might be saved. John sprinkles in statements that foretell what is to happen or to interpret the things that Jesus is saying (see 6:64, 6:71, and 7:39 for examples from today's reading).
When we think of Jesus' opponents, we must not be so proud as to overlook ourselves as possibly being in that category. We are saved not by our membership in an organization or a particular race or nationality of people, but by faith given by a loving God who chooses not to exclude anyone from grace and salvation. Perhaps the true opponents of God are those who deny this grace and salvation in others.
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